Move Over, Millennials: Why 20-Somethings Should Fear Teens

Forget about generational spats with Boomer bosses and trying to break free from overinvested parents, the cohort Millennials really need to worry about is Generation Z - the oldest of whom are college freshmen and the youngest, just exiting the womb. They're young, they're digital natives and by the time they graduate from college, the economy will likely be back on its feet. Here's what you need to know about the next newsworthy demographic:

They're outnumbered ... for now

Millennials have a population edge. There are approximately 80 million of them compared to 23 million Generation Z members, but the population of the latter will continue to climb.

According to research from the Pew, enthusiasm for Facebook is declining among teens - with oversharing and "drama" being two of their major pain points. They're reluctant, however, to leave the platform because of its function as a hub for their social lives. As Fortune sums it up, the site isn't less populated by Gen Z, it's just lost major cool points.

For all of the grief Millennials catch about their narcissistic ways, their little brothers and sisters may be even worse. According to the latest American Freshman Survey, which measures attitudes of first-year college students across the country, almost four out of five of them claim their drive to achieve is stronger than that of their peers. Combine Millennial entitlement with second nature tech skills, a voracious appetite for info and stimuli and a childhood in which reality tv everyman fame was normalized and Generation Z is the new force to be reckoned with (and written about).

I am a journalist, entrepreneur and marketing firm founder. I write about higher ed and early career issues. Pithily. I was pontificating about Millennials and Millennial culture back when they were still known as Gen Y.